


your devotion has the look of a lunatic's gaze

by rowdyhomo



Series: all the good in me is because of you (it's true) [1]
Category: Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist
Genre: Gen, day 3 - chocolates, do you ever see a pair of idiots and just, how are you even alive, rizumo week 2017, rizumo week 2k17, that's rin and izumo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-16
Updated: 2017-02-16
Packaged: 2018-09-24 20:55:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9786722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rowdyhomo/pseuds/rowdyhomo
Summary: despite the fact rin has been wooing izumo for years, the girl remains oblivious to his affections. perhaps things might be different if he actuallytoldIzumo he was wooing her.





	

“ _PAKUPAKUPAKUPAKU_!”

Paku glances up and a smile of amusement spreads across her face as Rin goes skidding past her. Lesser people might find themselves embarrassed to have their friend making a scene. Paku isn’t lesser people. Unflappable and immoveable, she is the calm of the storm. Besides, the gossip is always best when her target feels absolutely panicked as Rin seems to be.

The brunette raises an immaculate brow, zeroing in on the kill with a genuinely interested and sweet, “Yes?”

Rin grabs Paku by the shoulders and shakes her all but screaming, “PAKU, YOU HAVE TO _HELP ME_!”

If the eldest Okumura weren’t one for regular hysterics, Paku might actually be worried.

“With what?” she splutters, trying not to laugh too hard.

“Okay, _well,_ recently Izumo has been talking about...about this other Rin! Shimura Rin! All the time, she talks about her every day. It’s always Rin did this and Rin did that and ‘you won’t believe what Rin did today’. And I’ve met this Rin and let me tell you, she talks about Izumo the same way, too!”

Paku interrupts with a gasp, “You mean like secret lovers?!”

A hand covers her mouth for the extra drama.

The noise that rips from Rin then sounds like a dying animal and a broken blender. His kicked puppy dog face almost makes Paku feel guilty. Almost.

“You think?!”

“Oh, no, not at all, Izumo has no secrets from me,” she assures. The glint in her eye almost sinister.

“Then why would you...” Rin shakes his head violently. Some minds are best never understood. “Nevermind, I still think she has a crush! Izumo waxed eloquent for thirty minutes about the curve of Rin’s abdominals. Thirty minutes, Paku, _thirty minutes.”_

Paku eyes slide shut. Her whole being--physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual--slumps. As Izumo’s longest lasting friend, she has already been exposed a many a time to Izumo’s complete lack of self awareness. Especially, in relation to her sexuality.

(There’s a particularly memorable time Paku cherishes as the moment she lost any and all innocence to just how truly bizarre Izumo’s affections could be. It’s a year or two after Paku’s dropped out of cram school. The sun shines brightly despite Autumn’s cold and Izumo has started as a Middle Second Class exorcist. This means, of course, longer, harder, and more dangerous missions. 

Paku knows Izumo’s just returned the day before from one such mission. It’s the reason why she finds Izumo’s dazed inattentiveness so worrying. Had something happened? Something horrible? Her former mentor, Shura, had been on that mission. Why hadn’t the elder woman watched out for her?!

The brunette tries not to ask. She really does. But by the time lunch break rolls around Paku simply cannot take the glazed look in Izumo’s eyes anymore. Paku lets them get lunch, settle onto their usual spot of grass, and start in on their food before questioning Izumo.

“Izumo, can I...ask you something?” Paku begins delicately.

“Mm,” Izumo says, not even looking at her. Paku is fairly certain the juicebox she holds to her mouth is empty by now and yet Izumo doesn’t set it down. Simply stares into the far distance.

Anxiety grips Paku’s heart like a vice. With a shaky inhale, she braces herself for whatever horrors Izumo might share with her. She can do this. For Izumo.

“Did...something happen? On your mission? It’s just, you’ve seemed off all day and I’m _worried_ ,” Paku explains, stressing the last word in a way to get Izumo’s immediate attention. She keeps her expression open and kind and is not surprised when Izumo’s eyes snap to her. She ever more nervous, however, when Izumo turns her head away, hiding her face.

An eternity seems to stretch between them. Paku readies herself to press forward when Izumo finally answers.

“Blood...”

Paku winces. Just as she’s feared--

“There was so much blood on her. I always thought it would be gross to see someone like that? But! she looked amazing and terrifying. Definitely terrifying. And the way she moved! It was like watching a war goddess in action,” Izumo murmurs, ecstatic.

Paku blanches. She’s bewildered, floundering. The direction of up is a mystery.

“Wha...?”

Izumo turns back to her then, face flushed. A rapturous smile curves the corners her lips and admiration pours forth from her every pore. Adoration practically leaps forwards in physical form when she sighs, “Shura.”

“What,” Paku repeats. She wonders if the world will realign anytime soon.

“I think I want her to punch me?”

Paku doesn’t ask.)

“See! You know exactly how I feel. Which means she’s done this before. Which means she has a crush. Which means I’m _doomed_ because tomorrow’s Valentine’s Day and if Izumo is crushing that means Rin is definitely crushing back because, I mean, who wouldn’t? Izumo is _so_ amazing...but, anyway, if Rin’s crushing then she’s definitely going to do something tomorrow! What do I do? Paku, please, you _have_ to help me. Before I’m doomed to be some old guy’s trophy husband instead of Izumo’s!” whines Rin. He slides to his knees, grasping his hands in front of himself in a begging sort of gesture.

Paku shakes herself free of the past, focusing on the poor boy in front of her.

“Now, now!” she scolds shaking a finger. “That’s quitter talk!”

In all honestly, Paku doubts the relationship between this mysterious female Rin and Izumo is so serious. Nonetheless, she’ll help Rin out. If only to get rid of this will they, won’t they tension driving her absolutely insane.

The brunette taps her chin thoughtfully as she thinks aloud, “Now clearly you have to make some sort of grand gesture. One that’s modest but clearly separates you from whatever this mysterious Shimura can come up with! Have you done chocolates, ever? Izumo is a sucker for sweets! And you’re really good at cooking, right? So you could probably make some special chocolates in the shape of cats. Or maybe foxes? Both?

Oh! Get her flowers too and a stuffed animal. I can help you with the flower message. I’m sure Shiemi will drop a hint for you--”

“I’ve done all that,” cuts in Rin, sounding even more dejected.

A tingling sense of evil crawls over Paku. 

“What? Chocolates? Flowers? Stuffed animals? Grandiose declarations of love? _All of it_? And you’re still not dating?!” gasps Paku, true horror bringing her hands to her mouth. Is Izumo truly such a hard nut to crack?

“Erm, well, not the last one! And not all at once. But I’ve done it all...I just....chickened out half way through and said they were all friendship gifts,” mutters Rin, toeing the floor.

“And she _believed_ it?” Paku returns in surprise. Actually, scratch that. Izumo absolutely _would_ believe that. She tries not to close her eyes. Her soul almost leaves her body. 

Rin bobs his head still focusing on the floor before perking up excitedly.

“But! I haven’t done the declarations of love part! Should I write it on the chocolate?”

Life returns to Pakus eyes and she chimes in, “Oh! Yes, that would be so cute. How would you write it?”

“Hmmm, ‘Dear Izumo, you could stab me and I’d say thanks. P.S. I love you.’ Does that work?” questions Rin eagerly.

Paku resists slapping a hand to her face. Only just. Something in her expression must give her away, however, for Rin makes a noise of discontent.

“You’re right, it’s too long. I don’t think Izumo would eat that much chocolate.”

Paku really does slap her face then. With both hands. Look all ye upon these halpless fools and despair.

“I don’t think...”

“Oh! I got it!”

Paku doubts that.

“Bwahaha, it’s so perfect! There’s no way I can lose with this plan!”

Wait, is his voice getting farther away? Paku raises her face from her hands to spy Rin striding confidentially away from her.

“Gah, Rin, hold on! You haven’t told me your plan, yet. _Rin_!”

* * *

 

Izumo stretches her arms above her head languorously, feeling the comfortable burn of well worked muscles. Her skin sports a few new bruises, as well, but it’s well worth it to the red-eyed girl. With Rin’s busy schedule, these spars kept getting further and further apart, making these moments even more precious to Izumo.

With an explosive sigh, Izumo flops back onto the gym floor.

A husky laugh follows her.

“I didn’t hit you too hard, now, did I?”

Izumo grins up at the older woman.

“Pft, as if, that was a sigh of content, yanno.”

The black-haired woman sniggers as she settles into her own stretches beside Izumo’s prone form. Like always during her cool down, Rin provides tips and critiques on Izumo’s performance before questioning why Izumo moved like this or did that at this point in the spar.

Izumo is in the middle of answering such a question, explaining why she thought the kick would have given her an advantage, when Rin--the Okumura one--bursts into the recreational space.

“Izumo!”

Rolling her eyes, Izumo pushes herself to a stand to flag him down.

“Over here!” she calls, eyes widening when notices what he’s carrying. “What’s all this?”

Huffing, Rin carefully and expectantly hands off each item to her. 

Bemusedly, Izumo takes them all. A bouquet of every kind of red flower under the sun and a box of what can only be chocolates remain in her hands while the overly large teddy bear with gaudy heart ballons takes a seat next to her on the floor. After she marvels at its softness, of course. It’s...a lot. She knows Rin likes to give things to her to affirm their friendship, espcially on Valentine’s Day. But all of this? At once? She’ll have to bump up his shameless rating.

“Rin, even for you this is too much,” Izumo laughs feeling simultaneously pleased and flustered. There’s a flush in her cheeks tempered by the fact that this is simply Rin being, well, Rin. An overly affectionate friend. She lifts up the lid of the box and almost drops both the chocolates and flowers in surprise when twenty, little cat-shaped chocolates stare back at her. “Oh my god, they’re so cute!”

Awe makes Izumo’s legs weak, she sinks to the floor, not quite sitting, staring with wonderment.

“Aaah, how am I supposed to eat you? Your just little faces with little pawsies but you’re so adorable! Gah, I could scream with how cute you are,” she murmurs to herself. Perhaps, to the chocolates too. 

Shimura watches Izumo with amusement before glancing at Rin, Blue meets blue as the woman smiles in a pleased manner. Strangely, there seems to be a glimmer of pride within her eyes.

“So--”

“Take this!”

“Ah..., thanks?” says Shimura uncertainly, staring at the little box. Could it be a Valentine’s Day gift? She wouldn’t have guessed Rin considered her so highly.

Determination burning in his gaze, Rin nods, explaining, “They’re Valentine’s chocolates. For the special bond we share.”

Alarms widens Shimura’s eyes as they dart first worriedly to Izumo who, thankfully, still appeared lost in the experience of her own treats, then back to Rin.

“Um, are you sure you mean to give this to me?” asks Shimura uneasily.

Another nod.

“I wrote my feelings on the chocolate, so take a look.”

The woman can almost feel her face cramp with the attempt to keep herself from grimacing as she slowly lifts open the lid of the box to reveal the incriminating chocolates beneath. A cross between a laugh of incredulity and sob of relief explodes out of the black-haired exorcist as she reads aloud, “Rival confirmed!?”

Beside her, Izumo inhales her chocolate in shock.

Rin slides a foot back, planting a hand on his hip as he points dramatically at Shimura.

“That’s right! Shimura Rin, from this moment forward, I, Okumura Rin, declare you my rival in the contest of Izumo’s heart!”

Shimura stares. Izumo begins to choke. Rin doesn’t let up.

“I respect you for choosing this wonderfully terrifying girl as the object of your affections but I must you insist you back down! Unless you want to taste bitter defeat, that is. For I will never stop fighting for her, ever!” he declares. He pauses to look at the now coughing Izumo in worry but she waves a dismissive hand at both the Rins. The Okumura’s fiery gaze returns to Shimura’s. “Unless, Izumo chooses you, I guess. I’d probably actually stop then. Or if she tells me to stop. Because I respect her decisions and...”

Rin wavers for a moment. Frown in place.

“...A-and! Anyway! Be prepared!”

With that, Rin about faces with a cocky toss of his head before fleeing the scene as rapidly as humanly possible.

Bursting into sniggers, Rin--the Shimura one--crouches down and rubs the struggling Izumo’s back soothingly. In between laughs and snorts, the woman asks, “So, when do you think I should tell my fiance I’m apparently leaving her for you?”

Izumo nearly chokes again, manages to finally swallow the offending treat, and wails with sudden realization, “They--they were never friendship chocolates!”

**Author's Note:**

> sorry, it’s late alsdkjflkdd. inspired by this post (http://lesbianpidge.tumblr.com/post/157296822671).


End file.
